


Distorted View

by darkakane



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 14:26:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10467144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkakane/pseuds/darkakane
Summary: Not everyone in the Mindelan family is comfortable with Keladry's choice of profession. Written for Goldenlake's Advent Calender Event Prompt #2 Family.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is fanwork. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
> 
>  
> 
> This work has previously been posted at Goldenlake Forum and Fanfiction.net.

Lady Tilaine, my mother was teaching me basic needlework. Me. At the age of 8! I’d been so excited I could barely wait to get out of the nursery and start my extraordinary lesson.

“Melanie, do you remember your Aunt Keladry, the knight?” She’d said quietly to me in the sitting room whilst we were alone, ushering me closer so as to speak softer.

“Yes, mother.”

“She knew from very young that no one would have her as a wife, the way she’s built. Like a Cow.” Mother’s voice was low and conspiratorial and I knew without a doubt that she was telling the truth, after all she was Mother and never wrong. “Her manners!” She exclaimed with a horrified look on her face, “I don’t think I’ve met a ruder, more active girl in my life! She affronts me with simply her very presence. I can’t stand her, and neither should you Mellie.” 

Mother was looking me directly in the eyes now, a fierce light shining out of them. “She needs to stay in battle with all those men and hopefully get herself killed, instead of coming to our home to lord it over us decent women how much disgrace she’s bought to our family, with her wicked ways of consorting with men from all over. Oh, what would the Gentle Mother say? Sometimes I think she should have been born a boy.” The last of this had been mumbled from Mothers mouth, and it was obvious she hadn’t meant for the last to escape. 

Abruptly she straightened, and composed herself. “In any case, my daughter, I wish to warn you against consorting with her in case anyone comes to think the similar… undesirable things about you, in the future and we certainly wouldn’t want that, now would we?” She said this patronizingly with steel in her eyes. I was scared of what might happen if I didn’t listen to mother. The Gentle Mother looks down kindly on her own and I would continue to follow the teachings faithfully. I would continue to stay Gentle and Pure as she dictates.

 

“Look, there she is! Come see everyone! Oh boy, oh boy!” My younger brother Connie shouted through the nursery, pointing out the window at something, or someone in this case.

The other children in the nursery crowded around the window vying for the best position to watch as our famous Aunt rode into Mindelan. I grudgingly admitted to myself that she made a striking sight riding home on her horse with the sun to her back, but I still remembered what Mama told me not too long ago as we all stared out into the courtyard.


End file.
